(S/E) Turn left out of The Quarry car park and walk westwards away from picnic site along a forest track gradually climbing up through the trees. Continue straight ahead, ignoring turnings to the right, until you reach a gate across path at top of combe.
(1) Go through gate and turn immediately right and up a steep slope. This path then becomes fairly level and takes you above the Combe opening up good views on your right.
(2) Continue along this path to gap in beech hedge on your left leading to Dead Woman’s Ditch, indicated by a large wooden post on left. Go through gap and follow path up to car park, the Bronze Age earthwork Dead Woman’s Ditch lies to your left.
(3) Cross the car park to the Over Stowey/Nether Stowey road sign and follow a grassy path alongside road through bracken and gorse. As the path drops down towards another small car park, Sandy Beds, there are good views across to Bridgwater and the Somerset Levels.
(4) At Sandy Beds take the path at right angles on the right marked with a post “No Vehicles”. Continue down this path until it meets a wider forest track with a gate. Go through the gate and follow this track with a stone water tank on your left.
(5)Continue down the track ignoring side tracks going off sharply down to your right. Take this wide forest track meandering down-hill and through a large gate.
(6) At a cattle grid by Adscombe Farm turn right and follow the wide forestry road past Great Wood Camp.
(7) Just past Seven Wells car park take the right hand fork in the road facing the oncoming traffic. Continue until you reach a small wooden bridge on your left. Cross the bridge to the picnic area where there are benches and BBQ facilities where you can enjoy a picnic under the trees. Exit the picnic area and turn right and The Quarry car park is on your left. (S/E)
Waypoints
S/E : km 0 - alt. 210 m - Quarry car park
1 : km 1.4 - alt. 295 m - Top of Rams Combe
2 : km 2.25 - alt. 305 m - Dead Woman’s Ditch
3 : km 2.87 - alt. 310 m - Car park
4 : km 3.12 - alt. 296 m - Sandy Beds
5 : km 3.66 - alt. 266 m - Shortcut
6 : km 4.68 - alt. 163 m - Cattle grid
7 : km 5.48 - alt. 177 m - Seven Wells car park
S/E : km 6.15 - alt. 215 m - Quarry car park
Useful Information
This walk is mostly on forest tracks. The walk can be shortened just after (5) by going down the right hand track and picking up the main walk at (7). The downward gradient is rather steep and uneven.
The final section from Adscombe Farm is along the forest road on which there is a 15mph speed, however you need to take care especially at weekends and during school holidays when this road can be busy and, some drivers do not always observe the speed limit.
Refreshments : No refreshments enroute but pubs in Nether Stowey and Keenthorne, cafes in Nether Stowey.
Public Toilets : Adjacent to The Quarry car park at Ramscombe.
Public Transport : Nearest connecting buses Nether Stowey, Over Stowey and Crowcombe.
Always stay careful and alert while following a route. Visorando and the author of this walk cannot be held responsible in the event of an accident during this route.
Date of walk : 22/08/21 Clarity of route description : ★★★★☆ Good Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good Walk interest : ★★★★★ Very good
This was our first outing to the Quantocks; we'd already done the Jurassic Coast circular earlier in the day – with a picnic and a good rest in between the two. Ramscombe Forest provides great, atmospheric scenery; broad solid tracks underfoot. Take care that in the route description: use the distances provided to guide you, and be aware that a 'gate' means a gate, rather than just a wooden barrier – there is one of these on the way from the Quarry car park up to the top of the combe, and another on the way down through the woods towards the cattle grid; ignore them.
susanhilary
Overall rating :
5 / 5
Date of walk : 21/08/21 Clarity of route description : ★★★★★ Very good Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good Walk interest : ★★★★★ Very good
This was a lovely walk though it took us 3 hours not 2 hours 10, which was fine.
Very good directions except at number 2 the post is missing so we missed the turn and had to tun back
Fourspotties
Overall rating :
4.3 / 5
Date of walk : 01/05/21 Clarity of route description : ★★★★☆ Good Clarity of route map : ★★★★☆ Good Walk interest : ★★★★★ Very good
😄
Macowens66
Overall rating :
4 / 5
Date of walk : 12/07/20 Clarity of route description : ★★★★☆ Good Clarity of route map : ★★★★☆ Good Walk interest : ★★★★☆ Good
